Q: I'll be traveling through Southeast Asia for three weeks. What can I pack to keep me clean during my trip? My concerns are that I'll be backpacking so size and weight are issues, and that the climate will be hot and muggy, so I don't know how my body is going to react. Bonus points if they come in travel size! Thanks! Vivi
A: I have a LOT to say on this subject, but I'll try to keep it to the essentials. Here's what I brought to Vietnam and Cambodia:
Rene Furterer dry shampoo:Chances are you won't be washing your hair every day—and anyway, you'll feel like you need a second shower after 10 minutes outside. I brought the full-size (it's super-lightweight), but there's going to be a mini-bottle available any second now on Sephora.
Fresh In-Flight Kit: Best $130 I've ever spent (yes, I did spend it, it wasn't beauty swag—and I haven't regretted it at all): Face wipes, in-flight face mask (which works as a face cream too), and a post-flight serum. So luxe, so GOOD, so crucially moisturizing around hour 11 of your flight, when you're somewhere over Tajikistan. The wipes were also employed in a million other situations: before meals, mid-hikes, when I suddenly got paranoid that the mountain stream I'd put my hand in was seething with giardia, etc.
Bug Spray. I say: Get a formula that's
over 30% DEET. Malaria and dengue fever sound like hell. Do not fool around.
The Yes to Carrots travel kit: Shampoo, body wash, conditioner. Great, cheap, and tiny. Obvs you can rely on the hotel minis, but that's a gamble I didn't feel like taking.
Any other specific S.E. Asia travel product requests? Because I can keep going.
--Cristina Mueller, senior beauty editor
Q: I like fuchsia glosses and lipsticks; however, every time I
put it on it never
looks right with my skin tone. Can you
recommend a fuchsia gloss/lipstick that works well with a warm tone? I am also very pale, you may need to take that into consideration.
A: I, too, like
fuchsia gloss. As it’s been documented,
I can’t wear red, so I veer toward balms with a hint of pink or berry.
With such a bold color like fuchsia, start sheer:
This lip butter from Korres is amazing. Cat’s favorite is
this bright pink lip balm from Tarte, which gets deeper as you layer it on. If you want a true deep fuchsia, try the
Nars lip pencil in Funny Face, which goes on matte but has a lipstick effect. (Cristina's been obsessed ever since she picked up this tip from our July My Maintenance subject, Erin McKenna!)
--Simone Kitchens, beauty assistant
Q: I've been getting light chemical peels at my local spa about once a month for the past year, and for the first time in my life, I have beautiful skin! The problem is, I can’t really afford it anymore. I love the results so much that I can’t give them up completely, but I want space them out more and do at-home peels in between. Can you recommend a really effective (i.e., strong) at-home peel?
A: For those of you who haven't tried them, peels make your skin glowy and clearer and firmer, and work on everything from fine lines to acne to discoloration. And the best ones aren't complicated: You wipe one medicated pad over your face, wait a few moderately tingly minutes, and then use a neutralizing pad. Done.
And the "peel" part isn't as gory as it sounds: at-home peels are much more superficial--that is, less harsh--than what you'd get at a dermatologist's office. (If your skin is easily irritated, look for one designed for sensitive skin, like
Clarins Gentle Facial Peeling, or use a more potent peel less often. Either way, wear SPF outside.)
Questions?
--Cat Marnell, associate beauty editor
***Attention, wonderful readers! E-mail us YOUR beauty questions at beautydept@luckymag.com
Q: I'm really pale and naturally blond. Consequently, my eyelashes
are almost white. The problem is, unless I'm also wearing darker shadow and liner, mascara looks sort of unnatural on me. Is there any lighter mascara that I could wear on days when I have on less makeup?
A: A few options for you: Paul & Joe is coming out with a double-ended mascara—one side is a comb; the other a traditional brush—and there’s a lovely shade called “D’Or”, which is a bronze-gold-taupe (it’ll be sold on
Beauty Habit). Jane Iredale has
Longest Lash Mascara in Dark Blonde. I also love
Almay’s Intense i-Color Mascara in Brown Topaz. And, coming in August, YSL will have a grey mascara that is amazing. Let us know if these are too dark for you—we’ll keep looking!
-Cat Marnell, associate beauty editor
Q: I have hereditary dark circles under my eyes that no amount of eye cream can get rid of. I'm desperately looking for a concealer that's thick, creamy, and long-lasting. Anything in stick form is infinitely preferred over a compact—I'm loathe to use compacts because I feel they harbor bacteria faster than anything in stick form and take longer to apply. Any suggestions?
Much thanks!
Erin
A: Have you ever tried Max Factor's Pan Stick? It's super-creamy, comes in eight different color iterations (some people use it as a heavier coverage foundation), routinely gets rave customer reviews—and is under $7. And it's BIG—if you're only using it for concealer, it will last forever.
—Cristina Mueller, senior beauty editor
Q: I'm looking for an eyeshadow base that keeps my shadows/liner from getting creased, shiny and gross 2 hours after I apply... but also something I can wear by itself during the day. Any recommendations? Thanks!
A: I love wearing lots of eye makeup—smoky eyes are for day, in my book—and my favorite product for keeping it in place is Benefit Lemon Aid, a yellow cream actually meant more for concealing and neutralizing eyelid discoloration—but I didn't know that until just now. It's so good at keeping shadow, liner and even under-eye concealer in place that I just assumed that was its primary function.
A while back I used it in a smoky eye tutorial video—if you're interested, watch it here.
—Cat Marnell, associate beauty editor
Have a beauty question or a product recommendation for our blog? Email us at beautydept@luckymag.com
Q: I have a lot of fine, wavy hair that I love to wear long, but it's prone to split ends. I also have an oily scalp so I can't use anything too heavy or a leave-in on a daily basis. What's a good conditioner that will prevent split ends without totally gunking up my hair?
p.s. It would be even better if it were under $10!
A: No conditioner fixes split ends. The only cure is a cut! And anything that reduces the appearance of split ends will be, sort of by definition, heavy. My best split-end treatment is actually not conditioner: It's Secret Weapon, a styling cream you leave in dry hair. Take a little cream, rub it between your hands, and then sort of "flat iron" your ends between your Secret-Weapon-ed hands. This is absolutely the best solution in my opinion. However, leave in conditioner will prevent your brush or comb from snagging so much, and thus prevent new split ends. I say spritz on Nexxus Nourishing Botanical Leave-In Conditioner—only on your ends. And no one—no one—needs conditioner anywhere near their scalp.
—Jean Godfrey-June, beauty director
Q: As I've gotten older, my blackheads have gotten worse. My nose and chin look like they have little black craters. I've tried the strips and several scrubs, but no luck. Any suggestions?
A: A lot of people don't believe in facials—and I posit that those people don't have blackheads! Extraction at the hands of a ruthless, leave-no-pore-unclogged aesthetician can be brutal, but it works near-miracles for perpetually-broken out me. You don't need to splurge; wind instrument-heavy mood music and unlimited cucumber water will not, in fact, cure your acne—I get fantastic, no-frills facials at Mario Badescu here in New York for $65. Even though I find facials agonizingly boring, I force myself to go at least once every six weeks.
Other tips: Try doubling up pore strips—one on top of the other—and using them right out of the shower. Don't use bar soap. Clay masks help; so does being hugely vigilant about the products and makeup you wear—noncomedogenic and water-soluble only. We've heard very good things about the new-ish blackhead-erasing gadgets like this one from Clean & Clear, which vibrates to exfoliate pore-clogging dead skin cells, distributes salicylic acid (crucial anti-blackhead agent), and is waterproof and shower-safe.
But really? The best thing to do is toss the harsh scrubs and ask a dermatologist to prescribe you a retinoid: Retin-A, Differin, Tazorac, etc. All are incredibly effective—not only for preventing blackheads, but for drastically improving your skin in every way. For the rest of your life. Don't believe me? Ask The New York Times.
One last thing: In May, dermatologist-to-Madonna Dr. Brandt is launching PORES NO MORE VACUUM CLEANER (read about it here), the world's best-titled blackhead-treatment product of all time. Look for it (and report back!).
—Cat Marnell, associate beauty editor
Q: I've been searching for a mattifier that will absorb the oil and keep my face shine-free for hours. I would prefer not to exceed the $30 limit. Help!
A: I live under the probably crazy impression that greasy is beautiful, so it's rare that I try a mattifier. However, Neutrogena's amazing blotting papers (they are a pale blue high-tech material that's oddly similar to but clearly not recognizable as paper/plastic/fabric) are for those frequent moments when I glance in the mirror and think, god, I've taken this greasy-is-dewy-is-beautiful thing a bit too far.
Reports from those who do not share my insanity vote the Bioré SPF15 mattifying lotion as the very very best. "It really is superior," boasts one poreless friend.
—Jean Godfrey-June, beauty director
Q: I'm 22. If I use eye cream now, will it actually delay wrinkles/improve that skin area/do anything preventative, or am I just wasting my time?
